Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romneys search for a running mate is allegedly entering its final phase, and establishment Republican Ohio Senator Rob Portman is believed to be at the top of the list. Portman has campaigned repeatedly with Romney, and he is flying to New Hampshire this week  where the Romney family is vacationing  to appear at a Republican fund-raiser.

Portman continues to garner plaudits from the establishment media, but most importantly, he is the clear favorite of many establishment Republican insiders.

As The New York Times observed, he [Portman] is among a select breed of politicians who have a keen and deep understanding of the inner workings of government. And to the big government Republicans who were Portmans colleagues in the George W. Bush administration and the House under Speaker Dennis Hastert, this makes him not just a safe choice, but the best choice.

Portman, who was elected to the Senate in 2010 after representing the Cincinnati area in the House for 12 years, has been around Washington for some 30 years. He may be unknown to many Republicans across the country, but in Washington -- where he worked in both Bush administrations -- he is the ultimate insider. He's also the ultimate Bush Republican.

In addition to working in both Bush administrations, Portman campaigned hard for George W. Bush in 2000, dogging Senator John McCain across Ohio, crashing McCain campaign events and contributing mightily to Ws victory in Ohio.

As the Budget Director of the George W. Bush administration, Portman became an acknowledged expert on the federal budget. Indeed, as a newly elected senator, Portman pulled out his own charts and graphs on the Senate floor to analyze the nations rising deficits and its then-debt of $15 trillion.

But Portmans problem on spending is not his knowledge of the budget, it is his failure to actually do anything to end the deficits and debt that are destroying the American dream we just celebrated on the 4th of July.

Portman, like many establishment Republicans, comes across as a basically conservative Main Street Ohio politician -- but hes no Bob Taft.

If Republicans want to defeat President Obama, and in the process get America off the road to economic disaster, they must reject the big government Republicanism that led the Republican Party to its defeats in 2006 and 2010.

Mitt Romney claims that he is a Washington outsider who was not part of those Republican disasters. If thats true, he will certainly choose a conservative boat rocker like Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal or Jim DeMint, not the chief architect of George W. Bushs budget deficit disasters.

After promising myself I could never vote for Willard, but reconsidering after nightmares of another four years of the Kenyan Fraud, I had decided that I might be able to suppress the gag reflex enough to pull the lever for Mitt if he chose a small government VP.

If it's Portman, all bets are off--one more inside-the-beltway, party boy, establishment, big government Republican.

The Stupid Party; giving a whole new meaning to a flat learning curve.

Choosing Portman would be all about winning Ohio. And finding someone who would not out-charisma Myth. For my money they’d be better off focusing on Florida, bringing on Rubio, and letting the charisma issue go.

5
posted on 07/05/2012 9:41:41 AM PDT
by newheart
(At what point does policy become treason?)

For Real.
Who the heck is he anyway. He’s been there 30 years and I don’t recall any peep out of him. He certainly wasn’t getting TV time pushing back against Reid. Did he tote McConnell’s oxygen bottle? He’s a budget/finance guy?? Heck of a lot of good that is when the Senate hasn’t done a budget in 3 years.
This sucks. Get some gonads so-to-speak in the VP slot.
I favor Ryan at this point.

17
posted on 07/05/2012 9:57:40 AM PDT
by bossmechanic
(If all else fails, hit it with a hammer)

Theres nothing in a military man resume suggestive of small-government instincts.

I recently read the new biography of Eisenhower by Jean Edward Smith. I think the experience of being a general in the U.S. military lends itself well to the presidency. Especially in Petraeus' case, as like Eisenhower, he had to manage a coalition of allies during a period of war, not to mention all the internal politics of being that high up the command structure. Leadership, ability to delegate and to choose the right people that can get the job done are all abilities we desperately need in the White House right now.

If Romney wants to win in the next election, and he is not playing around. He will pick Allen West, it is time to get serious about getting this person out of office. Or we will pay for a life time. Along with our sons and daughters.

The modern president isn’t simply a manager. He’s a partisan who should be leading both popular opinion and Congress on policy. And if he (or she) doesn’t have a strong small-government orientation, the vested-interest establishment will steamroll right over him with ever greater federal government spending and centralization.

To me the best choice is Jindal. Executive experience, worked on healthcare, young, ethnic, superb academic credentials, pro-life.

And someone who absolutely shines as a leader during a crisis. He's not exactly firewall conservative on every single issue, but he's definitely sharp.

And re: Jindal... those who view him negatively based on that flop of a speech he gave after Obama's faux-SOTU in early '09... remember, damn near 75% of the country had gone all Chrissy Matthews for Obama by that point, and any frontal attack on him would've come off badly. Jindal did as well as could be expected with a difficult situation.

Presidents approve congressional spending, mightily influence congressional spending and have the biggest bully pulpit out there communicating with the electorate, who influence congressional spending.

Romney will have NONE of that! He spent years and millions attacking competence. And his governorship proved his contempt for American values. He's called Barry lite for a reason and not ONLY because mitt is the grandfather of obamacare - he nurses his own little socialistic Romneycare!

“Choosing Portman would be all about winning Ohio. And finding someone who would not out-charisma Myth. For my money theyd be better off focusing on Florida, bringing on Rubio, and letting the charisma issue go.”

Negatory on that.

Portman is the better choice because Ohio will be a “more difficult win” for Romney than Florida. Romney needs both states to win, but Florida can probably be coaxed to the Republican side without the benefit of a native son on the ticket. Ohio is more problematic, and without Ohio, Romney hasn’t a prayer to win.

Also, there is a VERY good reason why Portman is the better choice than Rubio. It’s a matter of hot contention, but Rubio’s Constitutional qualifications to be president are questionable and will be attacked by the ‘rats and by the media. And there are many conservatives who are of the opinion that, regardless of his smooth external appearance, Rubio isn’t really very “conservative” at all, and is an amnesty suppporter in his heart.

My opinion only, yours is different. But I sense that in the future, Rubio is going to be just one more disappointment to the conservative cause.

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